Christian / Raleigh, NC high school senior spotlight

Christian’s session was very well-rounded, as were his answers to the senior spotlight questions below. He has shared great words to live by, which could be quotes themselves. You can see Christian’s love for dance, especially hip hop, in the portraits that were captured during the urban portion of his session. He has some incredible break dancing moves, including his single hand plant that was captured in one of my favorite dance portraits to date. Christian switched schools for his senior year when he had the honor of being selected for the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He seems to have taken it all in stride and just graduated a few weekends ago. Congratulations Christian!

What was the highlight of your senior year?  I went to a school for dance in Winston Salem where I was able to dorm at the school which was a pretty amazing experience. I was with my friends 24/7 which was a very different lifestyle than I was used too. I have had a couple of best friends in my hometown in Raleigh that took a year to build but at school I was already at that same level with twice as many people in half the time.

If you could give advice to upcoming seniors, what would you tell them?  The thing I struggled with the most during my senior year was getting work done. I knew I was a senior and my time as a high schooler would last a short while longer so I never really put any time into my work. But I would say to any other upcoming senior that your senior year is the shortest of all your schooling years and summer time will be much more worthwhile if you know that you have worked as hard as possible during school.

What will you miss most about your high school?  I will miss all my friends from school. The people I have been around for the last four years of my life have burdened me with wisdom I will be able to carry for the rest of my life. My high school friends have influenced me the most and I appreciate everybody I have learned from.

In what extracurricular activities have you been involved?  Dance has been my main priority throughout my high school career. I don’t regret any minute of dance and if I had the chance to restart I would do the same exact thing.

What do you like to do in your spare time?  I like to have fun and chill with friends on my off time. Usually we go on crazy adventures and climb trees, buildings, etc.

How would you describe your sense of style?  Those that know me know that I don’t have a sense of style. I usually get up in the morning and throw stuff together that might look cool. Sometimes the girls dig it and sometimes they don’t.

What are your favorite colors and how do you incorporate them into your life?  My favorite color is green. It also happens to be my dad’s favorite which might have had a little influence on me. I don’t really buy a lot of green things but I enjoy walking outside in the summer and to be surrounded by all things green like the grass, trees, bushes, and any greenery.

What music genre is your favorite? Do you have a favorite artist/song?  Hip hop has been my favorite style of music. Anything with a beat sinks to my bones. Eminem is by far the best artist alive today. I think that I can feel his frustration throughout all of his songs which makes me feel better because I know somebody else understands how I feel and even on a much deeper level.

What inspires you the most?  If I can’t find any inspiration I look to music. There is barely any time where I can’t find a song that can’t liven my day up if I am having a bad day.

What is your favorite quote?  “I have a dream.”

Tell us about your family. What are some of the things you like to do together?  My family has supported me in all of my endeavors very strongly. Recently we have acquired a camper which we like to take down to the beach and just relax.

Who has made an impact in your life?  Everybody leaves a small footprint on my soul. Every time I have a conversation with someone I always learn from them to better understand myself.

What five things do you value the most at this point in your life?  Friends, family, dance, individuality, and music.

What are your plans after graduation?  Work. Work. Dance. Work. Dance. Get money. Make bank. Sleep.

If you won a substantial amount in the lottery, what would you do with the money?  Pimp out my house with a big dance studio space with marley flooring and the best sound system money can buy.

Where do you imagine yourself 10 years from now?  Hopefully in a company working on a piece of choreography that will be shown on a professional show.

Please share any additional information that would be interesting to include.  Live life the way you want. Regret nothing. Live to the fullest and leave no stone unturned.